Ernest Irving

Ernest Irving was, along with Muir Mathieson, one of the most important musical figures in the British studio system. Born in Godalming, England, in 1878, he studied music as a boy and had his first p...
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We are just a few days from the greatest holiday on the calendar. The tinsel on the Christmas tree and a finely roasted Thanksgiving turkey are nice, but little compares to the thrill of carving a pumpkin and the collective inclination toward the scary that comes with each October 31st. Halloween is a celebration of the dark and creepy things we aren’t always comfortable admitting that we love. The time of year everyone becomes a horror fan to some extent or another. However, there are those whose desire for the seasonally macabre is trumped either by crippling squeamishness or the desire to not give their children irrepressible nightmares.
So how does one scratch that Halloween movie itch and still be able to gather the kids around the TV before the twilight beckons them to begin the door-to-door pillaging for sweets? There are plenty of family-friendly films that are still firmly rooted in the tricks and treats, the howls and haunts, of the season.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Why is it so many kids grow up knowing and loving The Peanuts characters and their movies generations after their first appearance? It’s because The Peanuts have evolved from simple comic strip to an indelible part of American culture. In this particular Peanuts adventure, Linus opts to abstain from the typical Halloween festivities to wait for the mythical Great Pumpkin. The same way in which A Charlie Brown Christmas has become a staple of its holiday, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown gives Halloween a quaint, lived-in feel that is ultimately very sweet. There are even scores of hardcore horrorphiles that swear by the film as requisite Halloween viewing.
The Monster Squad
The Universal Monsters are the ghastly pillars of American horror, and their legacy is unquestioned. While it is true that the tame terror of the Universal monster movies, a function of the era in which they were made, renders them suitable for kids, it may be hard to get them excited about Dracula, The Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s creation. Enter Fred Dekker’s Monster Squad, a film that gives the kiddos a taste of the classic boogeymen while infusing them with the energy and spark of the 1980s — a decade that yielded the very best live-action family films. You may, however, have to have the uncomfortable conversation about the word “nards.”
Ernest Scared Stupid
This selection is a bit of a wild card. Moreso than any other film on this list, Ernest Scared Stupid plays directly and almost solely to the younger crowd. It also demands a prerequisite tolerance for Jim Varney’s hapless yokel shtick. However, there is something fascinatingly dark about this installment of the Ernest P. Worrel franchise. The movie's about an ancient troll who menaces children and transforms them into wooden dolls so that he may be inhabited by evil sprits to become more powerful. Yeah, and somehow it’s still a slapstick comedy. It’s a strange sort of cross-trainer for more grownup horror fare.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
By the pricking of my thumbs, your Halloween marathon needs this one. John Clayton’s filmic adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes is a bizarre and wonderful pseudo-horror experience. Jonathan Pryce gives a career-defining performance as carnival operator Mr. Dark whose mystical and ominous fair exposes the hidden desires of the corrupted human soul. Mr. Dark is a sci-fi take on the classic Faustian antagonist, the devil offering good people the chance to indulge their most lascivious cravings with a heavy price tag attached. It’s a morality play rolled up in an autumn-themed fantasy; one of Disney’s boldest films.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Speaking of Disney, another of their catalog that should be a mandatory component of any family’s Halloween night is the animated incarnation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Based on the classically spooky story by Washington Irving, Disney’s venture into the eerie little hamlet of Sleepy Hollow is a wondrous mix of the foreboding of the 19th century poem and the magic of late 40s Disney animation. The silly, waifish milquetoast Ichabod Crane is a nice juxtaposition to the terrifying black-clad rider with the flaming jack-o-lantern where his noggin should be. This short film will make the perfect post trick-or-treat bedtime story for your family’s Halloween night.
[Photo Credit: Lionsgate, Buena Vista]
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
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For all the controversy and hype surrounding "Eyes Wide Shut," the film will most likely be remembered as director Stanley Kubrick's last opus -- finished just days before he died in his sleep March 7.
Stanley Kubrick
The 70-year-old eccentric filmmaker's career was founded on spectacle, from the shocking "A Clockwork Orange" to the profound "2001: A Space Odyssey." It somehow seemed fitting that "Eyes Wide Shut," despite the star talent of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, would make its mark by bearing the director's ghost.
The year that was marked the passing of other legends, as well -- from George C. Scott (Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" star) to singer Mel Tormé to movie critic Gene Siskel.
Some, like Sylvia Sidney and DeForest Kelley, died after long, rich careers; others, such as Dana Plato and David Strickland, succumbed in relative youth to their inner demons.
From marquee names to behind the sceners, Hollywood will mourn:
Kirk Alyn, 88, died March 14. In 1948, the first actor to play Superman on the big screen.
Hoyt Axton, 61, died Oct. 26, heart attack. Singer-actor who wrote hits such as Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World"; appeared in "Gremlins" and "The Black Stallion."
Ian Bannen, 71, died Nov. 3, car accident. Theater veteran who starred in "Waking Ned Devine," appeared in "Braveheart" and was nominated for an Oscar in 1965 for "Flight of the Phoenix."
Mary Kay Bergman, 38, died Nov. 11, suicide. Actress who voiced numerous "South Park" characters in the TV series and film.
Dirk Bogarde, 78, died May 8, heart attack. British veteran of more than 70 films, including "Death in Venice."
Rory Calhoun, 76, died April 28, emphysema and diabetes. Western film actor in the 1940s and '50s and star of CBS' "The Texan" series.
Allan Carr, 62, died June 29, cancer. Producer of the hit 1978 musical "Grease" and Tony Award winner for "La Cage aux Folles" on Broadway.
Iron Eyes Cody, about 90, died Jan 4, natural causes. American American actor best known as the "Crying Indian" in 1970s anti-litter public-service announcements.
Ellen Corby, 87, died April 14. Oscar nominee for the 1948 film "I Remember Mama"; Emmy winner for her grandmother role on TV's "The Waltons."
Harry Crane, 85, died Sept. 14, cancer. Co-created the TV sitcom "The Honeymooners''; wrote for entertainers such as the Marx Brothers, Red Skelton and Bing Crosby.
Charles Crichton, 89, died Sept. 14. Acclaimed British director of film comedies, including "The Lavender Hill Mob" and "A Fish Called Wanda."
Frank De Vol, 88, died Oct. 27, congestive heart failure. Film composer who received Oscar nominations for "Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte," "Pillow Talk" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.'' Wrote the theme music for TV's "The Brady Bunch."
Edward Dmytryk, 90, died July 1, heart and kidney failure. Directed films such as "The Caine Mutiny"; one of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten during the 1940s Red Scare.
Allen Funt, 84, died Sept. 5, complications from stroke. Hosted and created prankster TV show "Candid Camera."
Betty Lou Gerson, 84, died Jan. 12, stroke. Provided the voice for villainess Cruella De Vil in Disney's 1961 animated "One Hundred and One Dalmatians."
Ernest Gold, 77, died March 17, complications from stroke. Composer for films such as "It's a Man, Mad, Mad, Mad World"; won an Academy Award for "Exodus."
Sandra Gould, 73, died July 20, stroke. Played nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz on TV's "Bewitched."
Huntz Hall, 78, died Jan. 30, heart failure. Starred in more than 100 "Dead End Kids" and "Bowery Boys" films in the 1930s through the '50s.
Brion James, 54, died Aug. 7, heart attack. Played the murderous droid Leon in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."
Madeline Kahn Madeline Kahn, 57, died Dec. 3, ovarian cancer. Oscar-nominated actress-comedian who starred in "Blazing Saddles" and "Paper Moon."
Garson Kanin, 86, died March 13, heart failure. Oscar-nominated screenwriter ("Adam's Rib," "Pat and Mike"); penned hit play "Born Yesterday." DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley, 79, died June 11, long illness. Starred as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on TV's original "Star Trek" series and in several of the franchise's big-screen movies.
Richard Kiley, 76, died March 5, bone marrow disease. Actor/singer best known for introducing audiences to original power ballad, "The Impossible Dream," via Broadway's "Man of La Mancha."
Stanley Kubrick, 70, died March 7 in his sleep. Acclaimed director of films such as "Dr. Strangelove," "Spartacus," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Shining."
Desmond Llewelyn, 85, died Dec. 19, car accident. British actor who played James Bond's gadget-guru Q through "From Russia With Love" (1963) to "The World Is Not Enough" (1999).
Victor Mature, 86, died Aug. 4, cancer. Hunky star of the 1940s and 50s, with leading roles in "Samson and Delilah" and "My Darling Clementine."
Jay Moloney, 35, died Nov. 16, suicide. Talent agent known as the "boy wonder," who once represented Hollywood heavies such as Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Clayton Moore, 85, died Dec. 28, heart attack. Longtime star of TV's "The Lone Ranger."
Dana Plato, 34, died May 8, apparent accidental drug overdose. Former child star of the 1970s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes."
Abraham Polonsky, 88, died Oct. 26, heart attack. Oscar-nominated screenwriter ("Body and Soul"); one of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten.
Mario Puzo, 78, died July 2, heart failure. Novelist/screenwriter ("The Godfather") who two Oscars for his screenplays for "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather Part II" (1974).
Irving Rapper, 101, died Dec. 20. Golden-era director best known for collaborating with Bette Davis on four films, including "Now, Voyager" (1942).
Oliver Reed, 61, died May 2, apparent heart attack. British actor best known for starring in "Oliver!" and "Women in Love."
Charles "Buddy" Rogers, 94, died April 21, natural causes. Starred in 1927's "Wings," the first film to win the Best Picture Oscar; widower of silent-star Mary Pickford.
George C. Scott George C. Scott, 71, died Sept. 22, ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Gruff-voiced leading man who starred in "Dr. Strangelove" and "Anatomy of a Murder." Won (and refused) the Oscar for 1970's "Patton"; won Emmy and Golden Globe for 1997's Showtime film "12 Angry Men."
Sylvia Sidney, 88, died July 1, throat cancer. Veteran actress whose career spanned the 1930s through the 1990s. Nominated for an Oscar for 1973's "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams." Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel, 53, died Feb. 20, brain tumor. With Roger Ebert, the nation's most influential movie critic and purveyor of the "thumbs up/thumbs down" rating system on their syndicated TV series. Writer for Chicago Tribune.
Susan Strasberg, 60, died Jan. 21, breast cancer. Theater/TV/film actress ("The Diary of Anne Frank"); daughter of famed acting guru Lee Strasberg; cohort of Marilyn Monroe.
David Strickland, 29, died March 23, suicide. Co-star of the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan"; played a lovelorn ex-boyfriend in "Forces of Nature" (1999).
Mel Torme, 73, died June 5, complications from stroke. Velvety crooner of jazz and pop, who co-wrote "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)."
Norman Wexler, 73, died Aug. 23, heart attack. Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "Joe" and "Serpico." Also wrote "Saturday Night Fever" and "Stayin' Alive."
John Woolf, 86, died June 28, heart failure. British producer of "Oliver!" and "The African Queen."

Title

Summary

Ernest Irving was, along with Muir Mathieson, one of the most important musical figures in the British studio system. Born in Godalming, England, in 1878, he studied music as a boy and had his first professional engagement as a conductor in 1892, at age 17, for a theatrical production. Over the next half-century, Irving conducted in virtually every theater in London, as well as conducting performances of operetta in Paris and Madrid. In 1935, Irving was hired as the music director at Ealing Studios and devoted much of his time and energy to improving the quality of musical accompaniment in British films. Up to that point, British films had relied on the talents of gifted bandleaders such as Louis Levy, who were quite capable within the context of light music, but lacked the vision and scope needed to extend their range of music. There were occasional exceptions, such as Alexander Korda's Things to Come (1936), which utilized the talents of England's most celebrated young composer, Arthur Bliss, but generally the standard was fairly low and superficial. Irving was fortunate to have as the studio's head of production Michael Balcon, one of the best producers to work in movies, who understood the value of a good music score in filmmaking. Balcon backed Irving's moves to engage serious composers as a routine matter and utilize not only larger orchestral forces, but more unusual scoring.

Irving's first screen credit as music director was for the comedy Midshipman Easy (1935), among the early directorial efforts of Carol Reed, for which he also wrote the score. Some of the more interesting and distinguished films with which he was involved in the late '30s included The High Command, The Ware Case, and The Proud Valley, which were interspersed among comedies starring George Formby and others. Irving also wrote a number of stage works, including The Two Bouquets and An Elephant in Arcady, and provided the music for several Shakespearean productions. His interests beyond music and professional activities included a serious appreciation for the game of chess; he was the chess editor of the Illustrated London News in addition to writing and lecturing extensively on the scoring of films during the final 15 years of his life. As it turned out, Irving would find the greatest challenges and achievements of his career in films growing out of events taking place far from London's movie studios. With the onset of the Second World War, the British film industry rose to its highest level of achievement, and, in many ways, its finest hour. The leap forward in music came in 1941 when such distinguished composers as Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton wrote the music for such films as Forty-Ninth Parallel and Henry V. In 1945, as Ealing produced The Overlanders (its first movie outside of England), Irving took a bold step by persuading the renowned composer John Ireland to write the score for the film, which was a success around the world. Irving's biggest coup was in persuading Ralph Vaughan Williams, England's most renowned composer of the 20th century, to write the music for The Loves of Joanna Godden (1947) and Scott of the Antarctic (1948). The latter project led Vaughan Williams to the composition of his seventh symphony, the "Sinfonia Antartica," which was dedicated to Irving. In addition to conducting most of the studio's major scores, Irving also wrote the music for such productions as Whisky Galore (aka Tight Little Island) and served as the arranger on The Great Mr. Handel. He passed away in late October of 1953, two weeks before his 75th birthday.